


Could I get a hug?

by gaiidre



Series: heroes (who aren't great at their jobs) [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Original Work
Genre: (totally didnt write this to deal with my own emotions), Angst, One Shot, at least he got machelle, corn rlly needs more hugs tbh, for that good good sibling dynamic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24180223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaiidre/pseuds/gaiidre
Series: heroes (who aren't great at their jobs) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1712446
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Could I get a hug?

Machelle is reading her book when Cornelius stumbles into their shared room, the energy around him the complete opposite than what the girl is used to. Cornelius closes the door behind him, leaning on it lightly as he looks up at his roommate, that by now he could easily consider his younger sister. They lock eyes and Machelle is surprised to see Cornelius, for the very first time, look so genuinely upset and defeated. He opens his mouths, then closes it again and looks away.

“Cornelius?” Machelle speaks up softly as she puts her book on the nightstand and stands up.

“I-” the boy chokes on his words. A sad, quiet, breathy chuckle slips out. He gulps and glances back up at Machelle, this time not meeting her eyes. “Could I get a hug?” he asks, unsure, as if he didn’t deserve it, his voice a little shaky, choked up. He tries to smile, but it comes out way too forced.

Machelle gives Cornelius a sympathetic look as she approaches him, and Cornelius practically falls into her arms, making the elf girl stumble back a few steps. He buries his face in her shoulder and clings onto Machelle as if he’d let go she’d leave him, disappear. Machelle doesn’t ask what happened, she just holds him close. She pretends not to notice how shaky his breathing is. He doesn’t make a sound, though, and stays completely silent, leaning into Machelle for comfort.

Machelle isn’t sure how long they stand there, a few minutes or over an hour, but eventually, Cornelius hesitantly lets go and steps back, wiping at his eyes. Did he cry? Machelle hadn’t noticed. He lets out a small chuckle and clears his throat.

“Sorry about that,” he says, flashing the other a smile. In normal circumstances, it would be completely believable, but now Machelle is hesitant on trusting it.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Machelle asks with the gentlest voice she can manage. Cornelius shakes his head as he moves to his bed, letting himself fall onto it.

“It’s okay-  _ I’m  _ okay. I just… I don’t know.” He shrugs and pulls out one of his stolen trinkets from his pockets, starting to examine it. “Don’t worry about it.”

Machelle frowns and sits down on Cornelius’ bed. “I’m here for you, you know that,” she says. Cornelius stays quiet, staring at the ceiling, not the trinket in his hand, thinking. After a few seconds, Machelle was ready to say something else, but Cornelius sits back up with his signature bright grin.

“Hey, I saw Jonathan Santa make some cookies yesterday, I bet there are some hidden in the cabinets somewhere,” he says, putting the shiny trinket on the nightstand and standing up. “Imma go look for ‘em, wanna join me?”

Machelle hesitates, way too aware of Cornelius attempt at avoiding the subject, but she’s for reasons still unknown to her is unable to say no to him. She nods and stands up as well.

“Yes! Let’s go!” And with that, the half-elf is out of the door, as if nothing happened, not even bothering to wait up for Machelle.


End file.
